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“I’ve been better,” she said. “That’s why I was calling you actually. I just don’t think I’m ready to come back yet.”
“I understand. Why don’t you just take a couple more days to yourself and I’ll check in at the end of the week. How does that sound?”
She smiled, grateful for his understanding. “That would be wonderful, Mr. Kennedy. I’m sure I’ll be back to normal by next week.”
“Wonderful. And if you could just email me your lesson plans for this week, I’ll see that the sub gets them.”
“I’ll do that right now, Mr. Kennedy. Thank you so much.”
“You’re welcome Emma. Get some rest and don’t worry. Hadley Cove may be a small town, but they never stay on one topic for long. Everyone will forget what happened in a few days.”
Emma let out a sigh. “I hope so.”
As she hung up, she felt a weight lifted off of her shoulders. It was relief knowing she wouldn’t have to plaster on a brave face and go on as if everything were okay. Over the next few days, Emma stayed cooped up with Riley, only leaving to take him out for walks and exercise. She kept getting texts from Lisa, Kara, and Luke, but she ignored them all.
Emma? Are you okay??? —Lisa.
Let me know if you need anything. I can be at your place in an instant —Kara.
Emma, please just talk to me. This is killing me. —Luke.
She wasn’t ready to talk yet. Riley was the only company she wanted to keep for now. Maybe at the end of the week she’d feel different, but for the time being she was content with her hermit status.
Emma felt terrible for not answering Luke, but she wasn’t ready to do what she knew had to be done. She couldn’t come between Luke and his son’s relationship, even if she was the happiest she’d ever been with anyone.
As Emma’s thoughts wandered, she couldn’t help but think that maybe fate had other plans for her. When Chad came along, she was certain she would spend the rest of her life with him. But somewhere along the way, it changed. By the time they ended, he had made her feel worthless. Now, a small voice in the back of her mind whispered that Chad had been right all along: no one else would ever truly love her. It would have only been a matter of time before Luke realized he had made a mistake and left her, just like Chad did. She couldn’t bear the thought of being hurt again, and so she made the difficult decision to push Luke away. It was better to end things now, before she was left heartbroken once more.
A tear trickled down her cheek as she thought about ending things with Luke. Although they’d only been together a short while, it felt like they’d shared a thousand moments that she’d hold on to forever. Emma had fallen deeply in love with him, but now she to fall out of it.
How do even do that—fall out of love?
To ask one’s heart to deny the very thing that has awakened their soul is a task that borders the impossible. It’s like asking the sun not to rise, or the tides not to ebb and flow. Love is a force of nature that cannot be contained or controlled. It’s the spark that ignites a fire within us, and once lit, it is not easily extinguished. To deny the pull of our heartstrings is to deny our very nature, and to do so is a feat that few have been able to accomplish.
As she slipped on her bathrobe, Emma walked over to the couch and flipped on season three of a reality show to try and distract herself from her thoughts. But it was no use. Tears streamed down her face, soaking the throw pillow beneath her head. Riley jumped up and licked away her tears, then nuzzled his head against her chest. Emma wrapped her arms around him, seeking solace in his affection as she postponed the inevitable. She knew that she would have to end things with Luke, maybe not today, but soon.
This realization caused her heart to ache with the echoes of her past with Chad. His love had faded like a dying ember, and his rejection had left a scar that had never truly mended. Now, her deepest insecurities resurfaced, whispering that she was undeserving of the love and happiness she so desperately craved. The thought of losing Luke, the man who had made her believe in love once more, filled her with an overwhelming sadness and left her to face the cold embrace of loneliness that seemed determined to be her lifelong companion.
Chapter 34
Luke
Luke was pacing back and forth in his office after sending what felt like the hundredth text to Emma, but she had yet to reply. A week had passed since the incident with Jeremiah at school, and he was growing increasingly worried. He’d even stopped by the rescue on the off chance she might have been there. He even visited the rescue, hoping to catch a glimpse of her, but wasn’t there. And the Barking Orders treats hadn’t been restocked, which only added to his concerns. If she wasn’t leaving the house and she wasn’t answering her phone, what was she doing? Was she okay? The mere thought of her in any sort of pain was maddening.
Looking down at his phone, Luke realized he couldn’t wait around any longer. Enough was enough. He couldn’t go another minute without knowing if Emma was alright, so he grabbed his keys and walked out to the car.
As he drove the ten minutes across town to Emma’s cottage, he passed Phil’s Diner. Luke thought about how they’d first met there and how they’d found love again. It had all seemed surreal, but now he couldn’t shake the unsettling feeling that something was wrong. Emma had always been quick to respond to his messages, so her silence was troubling.
When he turned onto Emma’s street and drove up to her cottage, his heart skipped a beat. She was outside playing catch with Riley. Everything was okay, Luke thought. He parked the car and got out, breathing a sigh of relief.
“Emma!” He waved and jogged over to her as Riley sprinted toward him.
“Oh, hey Luke.” She looked up at him and gave him a small cordial smile. “What are you doing here? Riley, stop that! Get down.”
Luke squatted down to give Riley a head scratch while keeping his eyes on Emma. “I’ve been worried about you. I haven’t heard from you in a week. Did you get my texts? And I called a few times too.”
She threw the tennis ball in her hand up in the air and caught it. “Oh, yeah I got them. You don’t have to be worried about me, Luke. I’m fine.”
He furrowed his brow and tilted his head, confused by her nonchalant demeanor. The last time he had seen Emma, she was crazy about him and asked him to stay overnight. Now they were having a conversation like two strangers. He stood up and reached out, trying to put his arms around her shoulders to hug her, but she stepped back.
